330 NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND BIRDS 



and as often as the bird came with a fly, the one at the 

 door (or opening) took it, and then they all hitched 

 round one notch, so that a new one was presented at 

 the door, who received the next fly; and this was the in- 

 variable order, the same one never receiving two flies 

 in succession. At last the old bird brought a very small 

 fly, and the young one that swallowed it did not desert 

 his ground but waited to receive the next, but when 

 the bird came with another, of the usual size, she com- 

 menced a loud and long scolding at the little one, till it 

 resigned its place, and the next in succession received 

 the fly. 



BARN SWALLOW 



May 19, 1852. A barn swallow accompanied me 

 across the Depot Field, methinks attracted by the in- 

 sects which I started, though I saw them not, wheeling 

 and tacking incessantly on all sides and repeatedly 

 dashing within a rod of me. It is an agreeable sight to 

 watch one. Nothing lives in the air but is in rapid 

 motion. 



April 30, 1855. I observed yesterday that the barn 

 swallows confined themselves to one place, about fifteen 

 rods in diameter, in Willow Bay, about the sharp rock. 

 They kept circling about and flying up the stream (the 

 wind easterly), about six inches above the water, — it 

 was cloudy and almost raining, — yet I could not per- 

 ceive any insects there. Those myriads of little fuzzy 

 gnats mentioned on the 21st and 28th must afford an 

 abundance of food to insectivorous birds. Many new 

 birds should have arrived about the 21st. There were 



